Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Older People

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the policy paper entitled People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform, what recent steps he has taken to progress cross-government working on stimulating a specialist housing market for older people.

Christopher Pincher: I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 92887 on 20 December 2021.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ethiopia: Arms Trade

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the extent to which a continued flow of arms to (a) the Government of Ethiopia and (b) other parties to the current conflict in Ethiopia is a barrier to ceasefires and a negotiated peace; and what representations the Government has made to countries supplying arms that may potentially be used in that conflict.

Vicky Ford: We are extremely concerned by the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopia and the implications it has for the country as a whole. The UK is working to bring an end to the violence. I have called on all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid through. I spoke to Ethiopian Minister of Justice Gedion on 6 December and pressed for an end to the fighting and for peace talks. I have continued to emphasise the need for a ceasefire through recent calls with my African counterparts, including from Kenya and the African Union (AU). We have spoken with a variety of international partners about the situation in Ethiopia, and have urged them to support a ceasefire and support the efforts of AU High Representative Obasanjo to bring an end to the violence.

Ethiopia: Arms Trade

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that no UK-origin arms are being used to abuse human rights in Ethiopia.

Vicky Ford: We are extremely concerned by reports of widespread human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia committed by all sides to the conflict and I raised our concerns with Ethiopian State Minister Redwan on 18 November and the Ethiopian Minister of Justice, Gedion, on 6 December. All those responsible for human rights violations and abuses should be held to account. I encourage all parties to implement the joint investigation's recommendations and ensure that victims have access to support. Our Ambassador in Addis Ababa and I continue to raise human rights issues in our discussions with all parties to the conflict, and more broadly we have reminded all warring parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Our priority is to ensure that Ethiopians, irrespective of ethnicity, religion and political affiliation, receive life-saving aid and that humanitarian access to areas affected by conflict and insecurity is restored.

Department of Health and Social Care

Personal Income: Disability and Older people

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the Minimum Income Guarantee to support (a) disabled people and (b) elderly people.

Gillian Keegan: On 7 September, the Government announced the Minimum Income Guarantee will rise in line with inflation for all age groups from April 2022.

Autism: Females

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that care homes providing 24 hour care for girls and women diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are accountable to parents, guardians and local authorities.

Gillian Keegan: We are focused on ensuring all people, including people with a learning disability and autistic people, receive safe and high-quality care. Care home services for people over the age of 18 are provided under the Care Act 2014. Where a local authority has carried out an assessment and arranged for an autistic adult’s care needs to be met through a care home, the care provider is accountable to the local authority. The local authority is responsible for monitoring the quality of the care service, through its contract management arrangements, to ensure the outcomes of the service delivery matches an individual’s care and support needs. Additionally, the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator for health and social care services, has implemented a more robust approach to inspecting autism services, including increasing the amount of shorter, unannounced visits.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating a self-referral pathway for severely immunosuppressed people who are eligible for a third primary covid-19 vaccine dose.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the 119 vaccine phoneline and online booking system to allow severely immunosuppressed people to book their third primary covid-19 vaccine dose.

Maggie Throup: Severely immunosuppressed individuals are able to self-refer for a third primary dose following receipt of a letter from their general practitioner (GP) or hospital consultant confirming their eligibility. This letter will include the recommended timing for this dose.Individuals aged 18 years old or over in receipt of this letter can book their appointment via the online National Booking System, via 119 or attend a walk-in vaccination site without an appointment. Children and young people aged 12 to 17 years old can also self-refer at a walk-in site offering vaccination to this age group, if it has been eight weeks since their second dose and with a letter from their GP or hospital consultant confirming their eligibility.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will reinstate monthly meetings between the Vaccines Minister and health charities in the form of the patient charity vaccine roundtable.

Maggie Throup: I hosted a roundtable meeting with charities on 1 December with representatives from 19 charities, including Macmillan, the MS Society and Age UK. The next roundtable meeting is due to be scheduled for January 2022. Additionally, officials meet regularly with individual patient charities, as well as organising group briefings with expert speakers on recent Government announcements.

Immunosuppression

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a national lead to co-ordinate support for and guidance made available to people who are immunocompromised.

Maggie Throup: Dr Jenny Harries, the Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, acts as the senior coordinating clinical lead for the many programmes supporting immunocompromised patients.

Public Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of public health messaging and its impact on community and personal compliance.

Maggie Throup: The Behavioural Programmes Unit in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities runs a wide range of health improvement campaigns and programmes to encourage and support people to adopt healthier behaviours such as quitting smoking, being more physically active and eating better. However, it does not currently run any campaigns which require or compel the public to follow guidance, regulations or law, therefore no specific assessment has been made.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to provide internationally recognised proof of covid-19 vaccination for the 12 to 15 age group.

Maggie Throup: Since the 13th December, fully vaccinated 12-15 year olds are able to demonstrate their vaccination status using an NHS COVID Pass travel letter. We are working on a digital solution for 12-15 year olds to access their NHS COVID Pass by early 2022.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the average length of delay in updating covid-19 vaccination records in cases where vaccinations have not been properly documented as a result of computer error.

Maggie Throup: No formal assessment has been made. Where an issue may occur with vaccination data recorded in England, this does not prevent people from getting their COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals can attend a walk-in site and receive their booster dose or primary course of vaccination. In addition, individuals can contact 119 for the Vaccine Data Resolution Service.

Vaccination: Immunosuppression

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to assess immunogenicity for future vaccines to ensure that people who are immunosuppressed are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Maggie Throup: Immunogenicity for future vaccines cannot be assessed until vaccines are tested in clinical trials. All vaccines must first be assessed for safety by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. It is the responsibility of vaccine manufacturers to include immunosuppressed individuals and assess immunogenicity in clinical trials.

Breast Cancer: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of breast cancer in younger women.

Maria Caulfield: The NHS Long Term Plan’s ambitions for early diagnosis includes improvements for breast cancer patients of all ages. Rapid diagnostic centres (RDCs) have two models: for specific symptoms, which will include most women with suspected breast cancer; and for non-specific symptoms. As of October 2021, there were 159  live RDC pathways in England, compared to 12 in March 2020. Of these, nine are for breast cancer symptoms, with evaluation showing that breast cancer has been diagnosed through non-specific symptom pathways.The NHS Long Term Plan sets the ambition to offer personalised care to all cancer patients and transform follow-up care, giving people choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered, includes younger patients with breast cancer. NHS England’s Cancer Quality of Life Survey identify patients’ views on their care and if any new services are needed. The first data from this survey was published in October 2021.